orth in search of the hole. This particular Polar Bear that the
Elephants met was at that very time on his way thither. So he thought to
himself, "This will never do. If these immense animals reach the
hole--for I'm sure that is what they are going for, the idea of the
stars is only an absurd blind--they will occupy all the room." This he
said to himself, and then he turned to the Elephants and said in answer
to their question as to the most direct road--"You will have to keep to
the east for some distance; then you will come to ice; cross it and you
will come to land again, after which you can again enquire as I am
unable to direct you further; though if you go a little south, and call
on my cousins, the Black Bears, they will be very happy to give you any
information. Just mention my name to them and it will be sufficient." He
knew very well that the Black Bears knew nothing whatever of the matter.
What they wished was to find the Great Tree up which they could climb
and in which they could burrow. But all that the Polar Bear wanted was
to put the Elephants off the track.

They thanked him for his politeness, and followed his directions. They
came to the ice which they crossed; and once more they trode on land,
but upon a new continent--upon North America, in fact, as it is now
called. "I am not so sure about this matter of going south," said the
father-Elephant. "It seems to me that we shall be going away from the
Northern Lights. I begin to mistrust the Polar Bear."

"But my dear," said the mother-Elephant, "surely the way has been just
as he told us; and I could never doubt one so evidently warm-hearted.
Besides, don't you think it would be best to get where it is a little
warmer? You know we don't propose going ourselves; the journey is taken
solely on account of our son not yet born. We might let him grow a
little in a warmer country and then conduct him to the Northern Lights."

The father-Elephant would not agree with her; he preferred to have his
own way; but finally he said: "I think we will go a little farther
South, on the whole. I am not sure but there is an easier way of getting
to the North, by taking just a little southerly and then an easterly
course." This was a very foolish reason, but it satisfied him. All he
wished was to do as he chose and not because his wife advised it. It
satisfied her too. All she wanted was to get where it was a little
warmer; but she found it hard not to say--"that is just